Rotary combustion engine



Aug. 14, 1945. F H. RgHR. Y 2,382,259 i 4 ROTARY COMBUSTION-ENGINE Filed April 1e, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet l 1%@ E QOH/e, 4 l NVENTOR.

ATTORN EY.

Aug 14,1945. F. H. RoH-R I v2,382,259

ROTARY COMBUVSTON ENGINE Filed April le, 194s 7 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

QEDEROH'Q,

ATTORNEY.

Aug.14,1945. l RQHR 2,382,259

ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aprill, 1943 "`7`SheetS-Sheet 5 He, TOR.

Aug. 14, F. H ROHR ROTARY coMBUsTloN ENGINE Filed April 16, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Rf mw Aug` 1,4 1945' F. H. Rol-AIR 2,382,259

ROTARY coMBUsTloN ENGINE Filed April 16, 1945 7 SheecS-Sheet 5 a Y M13" I NVENTOR.

4 'ATTORNEY All@ 14, 1945- F. H. Rol-.IR

ROTARY coMBUsTIoN'ENGINE 'Filed April 1e, 1943 u 7 sheets-sheets fgbom;

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Au@ 14, 1945 F. H. RQHR 2,382,259`

ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 16. 194; '7 sheets-sheet '7 lil f v/'eezor 37 .Sm-ps of: 0kb-@Aways j. hr4/E 2. ggMpesss/o/v l nel/vs 4. EXHAUST .Efo/10,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug.` 14, 1945 ROTARY 'r Fred H. Rohr, san Diego, Calif: Application April. 1e, 1943, serialiNn. 483.262

(ci. 12s- 16) s claims.

My. invention relatesto rotary combustion engines, and its objects are to provide a more effir cient. and operative mechanism; to economize in the use ofnfuel; to-provide a small and compact` engineof light weight land greater horsepower thanhas heretofore been used for thepurpose,

and to'.` bring about other. advant-ages more spe cically: hereinafter setforth. i

Myimproved engine has been designed: as a torque motor,made possible by the circular` dis-i position ofy the. working chambers. One great.` advantageofymyengineis the more `effective transmission of compressed air.A and gases from` the intake side.,y through the compression cham beraand into the Working; or explosionchamber. This, arrangement embodies a perfect. turbulent chamber when` usedi for igniting` of; the fuels orl gases;v andialso ymakes possible a very highcombustionspeed; I i

,My'invention constitutes a radical .departure from'` the `ordinary rotary` combustion engine well. known` inthe art, in; that .there isgprovided: throughmy vimproved construction, in a manner never beforeaccomplishem absolutely controlled turbulence. Turbulence is understood in the art. to `mean the correct circulation of .air in` the. combustion` chamber to bring/about complete ine terminglingiot fuel land air. After turbulence is accomplished,` `thecondition known as the burn.- ingor combustion takesplace and, through the utilization of` my improved engine' scavenging all times positively controlled and by means of `which itis possible to maintain andutilize high pressure atlthe` beginning `of:` combustion at full i leverage:` This is awnovel` conception insofar as its applicationto` ak Diesel engine is concerned; A somewhat .similar application of the principle has been tried' Withordinary combustion engines` but' it hasbeen found impossible` to obtain the result attained by my inventionY in areciprocating engine, or any engine having al crank or swash plateor. wobble disk. Perfectly controlledU turbulence andi` the presence` ofthe 'constant leverage` arm of' my improvedy engine are* outstandingfeaturesg. Accordingly, through the use:

of my invention, I am enabled to` effect substantially complete combustion and this` is` acco1n` plishedl practically through the use of said conafter burning, is 100%; complete. This isa result which is. not accomplished satisfactorily by anyV combustion enginelknownin theyprior. art; the` nearest approach to such: scavengingbeing through .thefemploymentlof the Diesel engine, whose residuum is about.8%, while in an ordinarycombustion engine, `the residuumy is` about 20% of thecylinder volume.

In "theicylinder and; piston construction of .Diesel and lother combustion engines, there alf- Ways is left a space between the innerwall of the end of the cylinder and-the wall at the end of the, piston so f that there remain appreciable amounts of the products of combustion-which,l onthe` downward stroke of thenpiston. and-the admission of air and gases into thecylinder, result in contamination ofthe explosive mixture. These amounts which are-leftfin the space between the end ofthe cylinder and the piston ring constitutethe residual amounts above `referredto which'in said enginesfhave been found impossibleto scavenge.`

In my improved'engine, stant` lever;` arm the movement of which is at I have provided, alconn trolledaturbulence.` i

Attention. is hereby directed to the `drawings illustrating a) preferred: form of: `my `invention in whichvsimilar. numeralsof designation refer toV similar parts throughout several views, .andinl whichi y Figure; is, a view illustrating` the interior mechanism of.y my invention Vupon the casing being removed; suchview showing the operatingV mechanism controlling :the vanes;

`Figure 2i; is a..section. on line 2`2 of. my` improvedapparatus,` shown inl Figure 1, looking in thef directionv ofthe arrows, the said. View illustrating` `the 1 interior mechanism of my invention and location of; the; vanes, as wel11as thefmethod` ci lubricating and` cooling the said mechanism;`

Figure 3 is an enlargedV section on line.3i` of, Fig. 2. of` my apparatus, looking in the direc-` tion of `thearrows showing the pumpsyand other parts; adjacent. to onezof` the vanes and illustrating the.v method of scavengingthecooling oil;

Figure, 4. is an enlarged longitudinal section on line. 4-f4:of.Fig; 2, lookingin` the. direction of the arrows` showing the parts adjacent to.

y one ofthevanesas .wellas the scavenger pump and adjacent; parts; Figure 5 is a sectionon line 5,5 of my improved .amparatusshown` in Figure 4 looking `in theidirection` of thewarrows and showing the method: of sealing. thefheaders andthe `vanes;

Figure 6 `is asectionon line u 6.-6 `cfa portionof` my apparatus' shownA in .Figure 4,1v looking in thefdirecticmuof` the; arrows;

Figure?? is aasection :of parl-.Lof one of the venes,... showing. the sealing method;

Figure-mis aview. of the interior mechanism of: my improvedV `apparatus* withv certain ofthe parts'being removed-forl the purpose oflillustrat- Cil in the form of the well known construction of ball thrust bearings. In the middle portion of the main shaft I0, is shown the annular enlargement I4, which is connected by splines I5 to the hub I6. Integral with the hub I.6 is .the spider I7 which completely surrounds the shaft and which is connected at its outer edges with the oating segments I8 which are eight in number and are separably mountedupon the said spider by wrist pins i9, of which there are sixteen-.two for each segment I8. Each of said segments I8 as shown is of hollow construction in order to permit the insertion therein of. one of the radial arms of said spider and also-to allow the insertion of a pair of the pumps "I5, hereinafter described, for Ascavenging oil (see Fig. 4),. The construction and mounting ofeach of these segments issuch that without disturbing the others it can readily be removed or installed for cleaning, repair. or replacement through manipulation of said wrist pins, upon which said segments maybe said to rest and to be in oating contact with said spider. lThe splines I5 and the wrist pins I9 are provided for the purpose Vof securing better alignment of said segments. As` will be art.

passageways is located within the outer wall of the casing opposite to the other and just outside of the outer walls of the segments I8. For the purpose of admitting air to these chambers, I preferably provide, on opposite sides of the casing `24, the intake ports and 3 I; and also similarly situated at opposite sides of said casing are the exhaust ports 32 and 33. As will be observed, there is inserted in the mouth of each of these ports, a grating 34, the purpose of which is to prevent breakage or injuryY to the sealing strips 22, or the shoes 2l.

Preferably the chambers 25 and 2l are of equal size, form and extent, and the chambers 26 and 28 and chambers 29 and 29 are likewise of equal dimensions. Within the casing wall 24, I preferably provide the hollow space 35, the walls of which form the water jacket enclosing the chambers above referred to. The water to these water jackets may be admitted and discharged in any of the Ways well known in the Aflixed to the walls'of the casing, adjacent to the extreme ends of the chambers 26 and 28, are the injectors 36 and 31, the said injectors serving in the manner common to all Diesel eny gines to spray within the said chambers 26 and noted from the drawings, each of the segments A I8 is not only separable from the others Aand independently mounted, but also there'is provided between the` ends of adjoining segments, a rectangular pocket or well2l), within each of which is disposed areciprocating vane 5I, which is rectangular in construction and which is provided carried in grooves 23, the purpose of said seal-r ing strips being to seal the ends of the vanes against the adjacent chamber wall surfaces over which they are to ride or travel in the way and manner hereinafter to` be explained.` As shown in the drawings, there is,- except for the contact of these strips 22 with the walls of said surfaces, complete running clearance at all times between said walls and the shoes of said vanes.

Within the said casing I3 are provided the chambers 25, 26, 2'I and 28; `25 and. 2l being intake chambers and 26 and 28 being expansion chambers. lLocated between chambers 25 and 26 and between the chambers 21 andv 28 are compression chambers 29 and 29, such compression chambers each constituting anv area which is very lclosely confined by reason of the close approach of the outerwall of said chambers to the wall of the' segments I8, adjacent thereto (see Fig. 9). These chambers form two sets of continuously curved passageways'each of -which includes an intake chamber, compressionv chamber and expansion chamber andeach ofwhich 28 the fuel oil. Also within the casing wall 24, at the sides thereof and incorporated therein, are the water jackets 38 and 39 which are preferably connected and to which water may be admitted yand discharged in any manner well known in the art. Within the said wall casing 24, upon opposite sides thereof, are formed the groove cams 40 and4l, the upper and lower surfaces of which conform with the surface of the continuous outer wall of said chambers and which extend circumferentially around the main shaft and receive, between their opposing surfaces, cam rollers 42a, 42h, 43a 'and 43h, the said rollers being mounted upon the ends of a shaft 44 extending through an opening 52 in the spider II and through the ends v-of the vane actuating rocker arms 4l. The said cam rollers are mounted and constructed in pairs, as shown in the drawings; rone of said pairs comprising rollers 42a and 42h, and the other pairof rollers comprising rollers 43a and 43h. Preferably, one roller of said pair is mounted so that its periphery will always be in contact with the lower surface of the cam groove4ll, While the surface of the other roller of said pair will always be in contact with the upper surface of the Asaid cam groove, the purpose of such arrangement being to distribute the load equally between the said rollers by permitting one of said rollers to revolve in one direction while vthe other roller revolves in the other direction, each roller serving to counterbalance the other yand thereby avoiding vany undue stress and strain which might be occasioned if only one roller were' used instead of a pair'of rollers. f

Integral with the spider I'I,` and extending on each side thereof, are the bosses 45; each of said bosses carrying a fulcrum pin 46,` and mounted upon said pin 46 is a rocker arm.41, whichv is so constructed and arranged as `to rock readily upon said pin 46. One end of each of said rocker arms 4l is pivotally connected with an actuating cam roller shaft 44, and the other end of i each of ksaid rocker arms is pivotally connectedby a pin 49 with a link 48, which is swingingly connected by a pin 50 with the lower end of each of the vanes 5I. The purpose of each ofsaid rocker arms and itsV connections is to takethe assente piatti '53,II.1:-provide"in. the rit u, a not 1s Iena roller 'M '(similar to slots 65 and 66, and the rollers load off. of the vanes I when inrotation on= the spider 'I1, thereby providing la, running clearance at all timesat` the topof each of said `vanes'; the I cam `surfaces 'and the .contourner the 4outer wall ofthe chambers being form forsuch purpose. f Il I f I As will be observed inI Figurel 4, :the middle portion of the shaft 44 oscillates throughan .arcuate opening 52 in the spider -II1, the purpose of such opening being topermit the'movement ofthe short end of the rockerarm 41.inthe be hereinafter described. I

d fand co-ordinated manner tol The `construction of myimproved vane 5I will now be described: With the exception. of not being round` and being `constructed inrectangularforrn;

my improved vaneis somewhat .similar in purpose and operation as the Iconventional trunkpistons.

of a Diesel or gasoline engine. i It is tobeborne in mind; however, thatV my improved vane serves an entirely different purposefromthat of these prior constructions, and that thereare very radiI cal differences and modifications in my improved vane from the pistons .ofthe `prior art.

Preferably, I my improved .vane is rectangular in v'form and has itsIinteriory parts cut away 4for economy in the use of Iweighta'nd metal-.IIA As before described, at the topend ofy each of my vanos is provided a shoe 2I., sand radial reciprocation of each vane is effected throughthe rec` tangular pocket or well 2UIby reason Vof the rcon- I nection of .the lower end of said ,vanewith the rocker arm 41. The lower:part of each of the shoes I2 I is made circular in shape for the purpose of Iproviding Ia rocking contactI with the ,circular or cylindrical shaped troughs55 at the top of the, vane, and in order to insure the proper engage-` yment-ol" each of said shoeswith leach, trough. `I

prefer toprovide, in the `lower wallIofeachtrough.I arcuatel grooves 56 which are shaped .to engage with the head of the bolts 94, each of whichis secured in an opening 95 passingthrough theIupper l shape: and size and are "soiccnstructedasto be` 2'()vl wall of the vane 5I. I In order toI secure effective sealing of the faces of said vane, during the said with the lower Wall, so as effectively tobringIaboutA the saidsealingI effect. These sealing strips 54 are `preferably of cast iron, vbut may be of any material suitable for the purpose.I

In order to provide for the proper sealing ofthe v sidesof eachof the vanes during reciprocation, Iform, the side of eachvane, `a depression 51 shaped toy engage with the sealingplate 58 which is provided with the laterally extending ribs 5B, 60 and SII, and the longitudinallyextending ribs 62 `and63. `In the edges of bothIofI the ribs 62 and 63, I provide the Iangularly shaped wedging s1ots'55 and 66, within which reposethe rollers 81 and 68.

At the end of each end :of each of the shoes 2 I, i

I 'have 'provided an end plate 69 which is provided with'a `:rib 10 shaped to engage with a recessY in said shoe and being preventedfrom dislodgment Icy-reason of a shoulder V1I engaging with an abutment d2, as Ishown inY Figure -6. For the purpose of enablingsaid IstripfBQ to 'act as a sealing strip in the same manner and vform as the sealing ysaid Wall, by `means of cap `screws 85.

`61FandSIDI-wlri'ch `act inthe same way and 4fori theisame purpose. For the purpose of further` sealingthe end .strip 69,1 preferably provide the detachable ribisection 64 which serves vas alcon` tinuation of the ribl 63 and operatesby reason .of

centrifugal force upon the loweredge of the strip 69., so as to force :same upwardly and effectuate furthersealing thereof. will be observed from Eigurel'l, thesaid stripEA is shaped to fori-nya separable slip io'int with the `ri-b 53, while being left. free to move upwardly by reason-of the cen-' trifugal :force above referred to. j A

The. segments I8 which, heretofore described; are hollow, eight in number and mountedupon the periphery ofthe spider "I1 are of special con-` struction. All of these rsegments are fof the same readily removed forthe purpose of replacernentr and repair. In order to provide an effective useal of the sides of thesaid segments, I preferably provideit'he sanieren the outside Walls thereo'fWitlrthe` arcuate grooves 91 which are concentric one with each *other 'and which receive the sealing strips 98.r These grooves are shaped in Ycross section,`

I together with the Asaid sealing strip, similar to the grooves 53 and sealing lstr-ips '54, and act irr the samemanner 1and serve thesame purpose. jlhe' said segmentstarewalso provided with anputer arcuate groove I-llll within whichreposes the sealy ingstrip.:99fwhich .ac-ts 4as a fire ring; the con? y struction Aof the said groove and strip being similarItogrooves 91 and I'Ill. i'

.For vthe purpose of scavenging the oil Whichf collects inside of the hollows of each of the seg-` ments, 'I preferably provide eight pairs ofpumps I 15, eachof lwhich is lpreferably of duplicate con` struction .and .is ,provided :with a Vdouble setf of. I

actuating links and levers morder that one of the pair valone may serve the purpose ofscavenging i if, for any reason, the other should getoutof order.' The reason for the provision ofthese pumps is thatany accumulation of oil, within'the segments, `whichis 'not` removedwould result in unbalanced running and by-pass of excess oilby the varies I'andsegmentswhich would allow the engine to overspeed. ffThe pairs `of pumpsare eachlocated Within `the hollow of one of the segments Iinthe position `shown in thedrawings in` I orderhthat theaccumuiauon of `ou at `the outer portion of rsaid -hollow of the segment may be more readily removed, the centrifugal action'of A theengineand rotation of7 parts beingsuch `as, td

throw theroil into' this outer portion.` The pumps arranged in pairs asfaforesaid are secured to the longerinn'er Iwall o f the segment by lugs 15` se.` curedIto-bosses y11,- which are integral with the `(See Fig. 5.) Each pump plunger 18 is actuated through the yoke 19aixed thereto, and which is pivotally connected by the link 80 to the rocker arm 8|, rocking upon fulcrum pin 82 secured to af plate83 aixedto the inner Wall of the segment; the outer end of the rocker arm 8l beingpivotally connected bythe link 84 to the lug` 85,` on the rockeri'arm 41. Suitable connections knownto the art may be employed `for discharging the said oil into-the return collector ring 86. Preferably, the oil is conducted from the said ring to a `reser- Voir (not shown) `forIthe purpose of collecting, screening'and purifying the oil, and later to be returned through connection A81 to collection ring i 88 and, in part, to bern'etered through the pipe '92 and spout `93`to`1oil the bearings of shaft I'IJ.` One of the purposes of the oil system ,is to provide a means for introducing amounts of oil in excess of the amounts required for lubrication, in order that a better cooling may be effected in addition to that-provided by the water jacket hereinbefore referred to. As will vbe observed from the draw-- ings (see Fig. 2), the oil is introduced fromthe spout 81 into the collector ring 88 which ring is shown permanently attached to the spider I1 land to be revolved therewith. Upon revolution, the oilis thrown out, radially, through the pipe 89 into a passageway Vthrough the fulcrum .pin and through a drill passage 90 in the rocker arm,.to

a drill passage in the roller shaft 44, thence to` lubricate rollers 42a, 42D, 43a and 43h. It is to be observed that, in this form of mechanism, no

. high pressure oiling system is required. Better lubrication is effectively accomplished byreason of the centrifugal force exerted and brought about by reason of revolution of the operative parts of the engine.

The operation of my improved engine is as follows: The rotation of the spider l1 and adjacent parts is started through connections and in any of the ways well known in the art, such as for example by cranking, electric starter, inertia starter or compressed air. Upon such rotation, the shoes 2| of the vanes 5| will closely contact the surface of the continuous circumferentially extending outer wall of said chambers and rapidly sweep over the same; the cam rolls, rocker arms and connections, and cam grooves serving to bring about and constantly to maintain the said contact through co-ordination as aforesaid of said surface with that of thecam grooves through the timed reciprocation of said vanes. Air is thereupon drawn into chambers 25 and 21 through the intake ports 30 and 3l, and is impelled forward by the rotary action thereon of the vanes 5 ll to the compression chambers 29, during which progress the incoming air is heated to a sufciently high temperature as to cause spontaneous combustion of the fuel oil upon the same being sprayed from injectors 36 and 31 into the areaof maximum compression reached by said vanes 5I, which area is located at or about the juncture of chambers 29 and 26 and chambers 29 and 28. This combustion constantly continues in chambers 26 and 28 because of the air in highly heated condition being forced past the said injectors, tlierebycausing a higher and more perfect degree of controlled turbulence thanhas heretofore been found possible in the art. After such combustion has been accomplished, thewaste products thereof are discharged through the exhaust -ports 32 and 33, being in the process of such combustion completely scavenged. Once myengine is thus started, andcombustioniis thus commenced, it

is sup- Y will ,continue to operate as long as fuel plied or until stopped by the operator.

If desired I may, as is obvious, employ in place of,}or in addition to, the means of spontaneous combustion hereinbefore set forth, spark plugs of the construction well known in the art, which may be connected in any well known way with the aforesaid combustion chambers, and which may be employed to effect positively the ignition of the explosive vmaterial admitted to the said chambers in the manner well understood in the art. f L

Myy invention may be ,embodied in other specific forms without departing from; the Yspirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, as above set forth,I is therefore to be considered in all respects las illustrative and by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y

`1. InV a rotary combustion engine, the combination of a casing, a base located within said casing and connected therewith, a shaft mounted upon said base, a structure secured to said shaft within said casing and rotating with said shaft, the outer wall of said structure being shaped to make with the inner wallv of said casing a series .of connected chambers forming passageways within said casing outside of said structure, a series of vanes mounted to slide radially upon said structure and encirclingthe same; and said casing having endless passageways therein at the sides thereof, the walls of which constitute cam grooves conforming to the contour of said inner wall of said casing, pairs of cam rollers mounted upon said structure, one of which rollers of each pair engages with the top and theother of which engages with the bottom of one of said grooves and which are connected to, and operate to reciprocateA radially, said vanes upon rotation of said shaft and to maintain constant sweeping contact of the outer ends of said vanes with the inner wall of said casing, inlet means for admitting explosive material within said chambers and means for exploding the same to cause rotation of said shaft, and outlet means for the discharge of the products of combustion.

2. In a rotary vcombustion engine, the combination of a casing, a base located within said casing and connected therewith, a shaft mountedupon said base, a spider secured to said shaft, segments yseparably secured to the periphery of said spider within said casing and rotating therewith, theouter walls of said segments being shaped to make with Vthe inner wall of said casing a series of connected chambers constituting passageways within said casing outside ofsaid segments, and said segments being separated to form radially extending wells therebetween, a series of vanes each of which is mounted to slide in one of said wells; said casing having therein endless passageways adjacent to said inner wall thereof, the walls of which passageways constitutecam grooves `conforming to the contour of said inner wall, pairs of cam rollers connected with said vanes and spider, one of which rollers of each pair engages .with the top and the other of which engages with the bottom of one of said grooves and which operate to reciprocate radially said vanes upon rotation of said shaft and to maintain constant contact of the outer ends of said vanes with the'inner wall of said casing, inlet means for' admitting explosive material within said chambers and means for exploding the same tofcause rotation of said shaft, land outlet means for the discharge from said chambers of the products of combustion.

3. Ina rotary combustion engine, the combination of a casing, a base located within said casing and connected therewith, a shaft mounted upon said base, hollow segments secured to said shaft within said casing and rotating with said shaft, the outer walls of said segments being shaped to make with the inner wall of said casingga series of connectedchambers forming passageways Within said casing outside of said segments, and said segments being separatedto form radially extending Wells therebetween, a

series of vanes mounted to slide radially in said wells and encircling said shaft, means connected With said shaft for -radially reciprocating said vanes upon rotation of said shaft to maintain constant sweeping contact of the outer ends of said vanes with the inner Wall of said casing,

, means centrifugally exerted for supplying lubrication to said operative parts, and pumps and connections radially secured to said structure and operating to remove excess lubricants collecting insideof said segments by reason of centrifugal action exerted by rotation of said shaft, inlet means for admitting air and explosive' material within `said chambersand means for exploding the same to cause rotation of said shaft, and outlet means for removing the prod- 'ucts of combustion.

FRED H. ROHR. 

